Baptism of Christ THIS ICON IS KNOWN BY SEVERAL NAMES: THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST - EPIPHANY - THEOPHANY. ON JANUARY 6TH (19TH ON THE JULIAN CALENDAR) THE CHURCH CELEBRATES THE "EPIPHANY." IN THE EAST IT IS THE "BAPTISM OF CHRIST" AND IN THE WEST THE ADORATION OF THE MAGGI. IN THE EARLY CHURCH (AND IT IS STILL TRUE TODAY IN THE ARMENIAN CHURCH) THE FEASTS OF THE NATIVITY, THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST AND ADORATION OF THE MAGGI WERE ALL CELEBRATED TOGETHER ON THIS DAY. THE FEAST IN THE EAST CELEBRATES THE MANISFESTATION OF THE "TRINITY." JESUS IS BEING BAPTISED BY JOHN THE BAPTIST, GOD THE FATHER IS REPRESENTED BY THE HEAVEN AND THE RAY OF LIGHT WHICH SHOWS THE HOLY SPIRIT AS A DOVE. THE BIBLICAL TEXT "THIS IS MY BELOVED SON IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED" IS READ AT THE LITURGY. THE TROPARION IN THE FIRST TONE OF THE DAY IS: "AT YOUR BAPTISM IN THE JORDAN RIVER, O CHRIST, THE WORSHIP OF THE TRINITY WAS MADE MANIFEST FOR THE VOICE OF THE FATHER BORE WITNESS BY CALLING YOU "BELOVED SON," AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, IN THE FORM OF A DOVE, CONFIRMED THE IMMUTABILITY OF THIS DECLARATION. O CHRIST GOD WHO CAME FORTH AND FILLED THE WORLD WITH LIGHT, GLORY TO YOU!"